Machine for operating on paper and like material



v 11963 A.YW. CHESNEY 3,071,029

MACHINE FOR OPERATING 0N PAPER AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed April 4, I960 A 2 Sheets-Sheet l A Home y:

Jan. 1, 19.63 w. CHESNEY 3,

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON PAPER AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed April 4, 960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aftorneyx Unite ates This invention relates to a machine for making holes in a pile of sheets of paper and similar material such as cards: such a requirement arises for example in reproducing sheets of paper with openings adapting them to be fitted in a lose-leaf binder.

It is the main purpose of the present invention to provide a machine which shall enable such openings to be produced easily and preferably automatically with a pitch which can easily be varied to suit diiferent requirements.

Broadly stated, a machine in accordance with the present invention comprises a work support and a drilling head which is movable towards and away from the support which is itself biased to move in steps in one direction past the head: furthermore, the movements of the head and of the support are co-related so that when the head moves away from the support the support is caused to move through one step in its advance past the drilling head whereby when the head moves again towards the support, which is now stationary, the drill which is mounted in the head will drill an opening in a pile which is spaced from that previously made by the distance of the step advance of the support.

An important feature of the present invention comprises controlling the step by step advance of the table by what may be termed a pattern plate which has been preformed to obtain a predetermined pattern of advance, so that by providing a number of different interchangeable plates the pitch of the openings made in succession by the drill can be pre-selected to suit the diiferent requirements which arise merely by the fitting of one or another plate to the machine.

The drilling head is arranged for control in such a manner that each operative movement of the head, and hence each step advance of the work support is initiated by each return of the drilling head to its starting position. In this way, openings have a predetermined pattern as determined by the chosen pattern plate are formed in a line in a pile: provision can also be made to effect hand initiation of the cycle of operations so that both automatic and non-automatic operation can be used as found most convenient, the pattern of openings being however still determined by the form of the pattern plate.

The pattern plate forms an important part of the invention for it determines the pitch of the openings leaving the operator to perform only the function of initiating the operation of the machine: in this Way, unskilled labour can be used for the operation of the machine.

The invention can be carried into practical effect in a number of ways: an a convenient construction, the head would be moved down (towards the work support) by an electric motor operating through an electromagnetic clutch which is de-energised when the head has moved down through a given distance: the work support is continuously urged in the one advancing direction but is freed to move by a detent engaging a notch in the pattern plate which is notched at intervals corresponding to the pattern of openings required. The head is biased to move up away from the work support so that when the clutch is de-energised this bias is freed to operate.

As the head moves up it trips the detent to allow the work support to move forward one step at which time the movement of the detent into the next notch to atet O 3,071,029 Patented Jan. 1, 1963 ice lock the support in position operates an electric switch to re-energise the clutch whereby the head is moved down again to drill an opening in the pile on the now static work support.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a machine according to the invention and FIGURES 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the operative parts of that machine.

Referring to the drawing, the machine comprises a pedestal base 1, a table 2, and a machine tool, e.g. a drilling head 3 of the well-known type comprising an electric motor 3a driving a chuck in which is mounted a twist drill 3b. The table 2 is mounted in the familiar manner to slide on the base 1 and it is biased to move to the left as by a spring 1a. The head is mounted to fall and rise towards and away from the table which forms the work support referred to. The base 1 is also equipped with a control panel 4.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, which shows the mechanism employed for moving the drilling head 3 down and up, a geared motor unit 5 drives a toothed pulley 6 driving a toothed belt 7 in turn driving a driven pulley 8. The driven pulley 8 rotates freely on a shaft 9 and is arranged to be connected to it through an electromagnetic clutch of the usual form and comprising the two disc parts 10, 11.

When the clutch is energised the discs 10, 11 are engaged and the shaft 9 is rotated by drive transmitted to it from the motor 5.

Mounted on the end of the shaft 9 is a pinion 12 meshing with a rack 13 fitted to a slide 14 carrying the head 3. Rotation of the pinion 12 in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 drives the slide 14 down on its active drilling stroke: termination of the travel of the slide occurs when an adjustable knob 15 strikes a plunger 16 which actuates a microswitch and cuts the electric current supplied to the clutch 10, 11 so that drive to the slide 13 and hence the downward active movement of the drilling head 3 ceases.

The slide is now returned to its upper inactive position by the action of two springs one on each side of the slide bearings: only one of the springs is indicated at 17. In order to cushion the slide 14 on the latter part of its return movement an air buffer 18 is fitted.

Located between the electromagnetic clutch and the pinion '12 is a chainwheel 19 secured to the shaft 9. This wheel drives a chain 20 passing about a sprocket 21, the hub of which has a striker 22.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 which shows the mechanism employed for controlling the movement of the table 2, the striker 22 engages a lever 23 which, with a similar lever 24 is secured to a spindle 25 spring loaded by means of the torsion spring 26. On the downward motion of the slide 14 the striker 22 knocks the lever 23 out of its path and the levers 23, 24 are returned by the torsion spring 26.

However on the later part of the return movement of the slide 14 the striker 22 again knocks the lever 23 out of its path and as is shown in FIGURE 3 this lever moves a pin 27 which is fitted to a slide forming a detent latch 28 so moving the latch against the action of a return spring 31 out of engagement with one of a series of teeth 29 in a pattern plate 30 Which is detachably fitted to the rear edge of the table 2.

When the latch 28 is thus removed from the teeth of the rack 29, the table 2 is freed to move to the left under the action of the table driving means 1a at its underside.

The movement of the table 2 continues until the latch 28, being returned to its previous position by the spring 31, engages in the next tooth space 29 in the rack 30.

This action also returns the levers 23, 24 to their former position.

With the parts so far described, the energisation of the clutch 10, 11 by the pressing of a button switch will result in performing a single drilling operation which can be repeated after the table 2 has moved a predetermined amount corresponding to the pitch of the teeth 29 by repeatedly operating it.

Now to enable the machine to be arranged for automatic operation in the production of holes at different pitches, a component 32 having a projection 34 at its nose is provided: this nose end engages in each tooth space in a similar manner to the latch 28 but in advance of it. The heel 34a of the interponent component 32 actuates a microswitch 35 which when the machine is set for automatic operation is rendered active to control the electro magnetic clutch 10, 11: thus as the pattern plate moves to the right (at which time the slide 14 and the drilling head are returning to their upper position) the switch is operated and the clutch is again rendered operative to commence a further cycle of slide motion as has been described.

This operation of the switch 35 is achieved by mounting the component 32 to slide in a fixed block 36: the component is pulled along by the tooth 29' of the pattern plate 30 and a pin 33 on the interponent 32 rides along a sloping cam face 37 in the block 36 thereby pulling the nose of the component 32 out of engagement with the tooth it was engaging: this takes place against the action of a leaf spring 37a which returns the component 32 to its former position.

It-will be clear that the spacing of the teeth 29 on the pattern plate 30 determines the spacing or pitch of the holes formed by the drill in the drill head 3 in the sheet material on the supporting table 2. This being detachably secured to the table In can be replaced by other pattern plates having different tooth spacings: equally the pitch spacings of the teeth on any one plate could be uniform or of different values depending on the pattern of the holes which are required.

The table can'be locked in a central position if no movement is required. Depressing the On button a second time will repeat the operation. When continuous or automatic operation is required, an Auto button is switched on and the push button On used for single operation is depressed once only whereafter the drill head 3 will continue to go down and up with the table 2 traversing after each drilling under the control of the mechanism as-has been described.

-A control operating through a rheostat is provided to vary the voltage to the coil of the electromagnetic clutch 10, 11 and consequently the torque transmitted through it. The torque is adjusted by setting the rheostat to suit the particular drill size in use. The various control circuits will include the usual electrical components and therefore furthermore description is believed to be unnecessary, the control components being mounted on the control panel 4 is indicated in FIGURE 1.

I claim:

1. Control mechanism for a machine for forming a succession of holes in sheet material and including a base, a machine tool mounted on said base, a work support for carrying sheet material mounted for movement past said machine tool, driving means for moving said work support past said machine tool, and means for controlling operation of said machine tool, said mechanism comprising a toothed control plate connected to said work support for movement therewith; a latch normally engaging a tooth on said control plate for preventing movement thereof by said driving means; means operable in response to performance of a hole forming operation by said machine tool for temporarily disengaging said latch from said tooth to enable said driving means to move said work support relatively past said machine tool and for then enabling engagement of said latch with a following tooth on said control plate for arresting said work support in position for another hole to be formed by said machine tool; an interponent operatively connected to said machine tool operation controlling means for actuating the latter; and means mounting said interponent for movement into engagement with said control plate for being moved by the latter for thereby actuating said operation controlling means, and for movement out of engagement with said control plate.

2. Control mechanism for a machine for forming a succession of holes in sheet material and including a base, a machine tool mounted on said base, a work support for carrying sheet material mounted for movement past said machine tool, driving means for moving said Work support past said machine tool, and means for controlling operation of said machine tool, said mechanism comprising a toothed control plate connected to said work support for movement therewith; a latch normally engaging a tooth on said control plate for preventing movement thereof by said driving means; means operable in response to performance of a hole forming operation by said machine tool for temporarily disengaging said latch from said tooth to enable said driving means to move said work support relatively past said machine tool and for then enabling engagement of said latch with a following tooth on said control plate for arresting said work support in position for another hole to be formed by said machine tool; an interponent operatively connected to said machine tool operation controlling means for actuating the latter; means mounting said interponent for movement both transversely of the direction of movement of said control plate into and out of engagement with a tooth on said control plate and by said control plate in the direction of movement of the latter when said interponent is engaged with said control plate, whereby to actuate said operation controlling means; means for holding said interponent in-engagement with said control plate tooth when the control plate is stationary; and means responsive to a predetermined movement of said interponent with said control plate for disengaging said interponent from said control plate tooth to enable return of said interponent reversely to the direction in which it was moved by said control plate followed by engagement of said interponent with a following tooth on said control plate and de-activating of said operation controlling means.

3. Control mechanism according to claim 2 in which said interponent is mounted to slide in the direction of movement of said control plate and to rock transversely to said direction, the means for disengaging said interponent from said control plate tooth comprising a cam, a spring being provided for returning said interponent reversely to its direction of movement by said control plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 395,592 Schwarzler Jan. 1, 1889 2,300,253 Hamilton et al. Oct. 27, 1942 2,830,475 Jones Apr. 15, 1958 2,932,229 Crane Apr. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,772 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1914 

1. CONTROL MECHANISM FOR A MACHINE FOR FORMING A SUCCESSION OF HOLES IN SHEET MATERIAL AND INCLUDING A BASE, A MACHINE TOOL MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A WORK SUPPORT FOR CARRYING SHEET MATERIAL MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT PAST SAID MACHINE TOOL, DRIVING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID WORK SUPPORT PAST SAID MACHINE TOOL, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE TOOL, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A TOOTHED CONTROL PLATE CONNECTED TO SAID WORK SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH; A LATCH NORMALLY ENGAGING A TOOTH ON SAID CONTROL PLATE FOR PREVENTING MOVEMENT THEREOF BY SAID DRIVING MEANS; MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO PERFORMANCE OF A HOLE FORMING OPERATION BY SAID MACHINE TOOL FOR TEMPORARILY DISENGAGING SAID LATCH FROM SAID TOOTH 